Jay Edward Moyer

Jay was born in Perkasie, PA on July 28, 1940, the only child of J. Edward and Frances Apple Moyer. A graduate of Westminster (MD) High School in 1958, he was the star quarterback on his school's football team. Jay had plans to play football at Dartmouth College, but a serious hip injury in the final game of his senior high school season ended his playing career. The injury occured after he had thrown 3 touchdown passes to Pete Widener, who he now joins with seven other teammates and Coach Herb Ruby. He subsequently attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1962 with a B.A. in Philosophy. Jay was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He received his law degree from Duke University School of Law in 1965, with an election to the Order of the Coif.

After law school Jay joined the firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Cleveland, OH where he practiced litigation and labor law. In 1972, he joined the National Football League as Counsel to the Commissioner, the NFL's first in-house attorney and the youngest member of the NFL's senior management team. His accolades were many of which were well deserved but accepted with humility and grace. In 1984, he was appointed Executive Vice President and League Counsel, the NFL's number two executive position at the time. Jay retired from full-time employment in 1996 but continued to work part-time as Special Counsel to the League. But his legal influence didn't stop there, as Jay became an Adjunct Professor and was asked to help develop the Sports Law Division at Fordham University School of Law. He served on the Board of Directors for the Sports Lawyers Association, as well as several other non-profit organizations. Jay was profiled in multiple editions of Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who of Emerging Leaders, and Who's Who in the World, and is a past recipient of the Sports Lawyers Association Award of Excellence. In 2018, Jay was inducted into the Carroll County (MD) Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements as a high school football player and professional sports executive. His brief comments illustrated his love of friendships and teamwork, both on the athletic field and in the office. He truly was a "Man For All Seasons" and will be missed but remembered by those who were fortunate to share his life. Plus, watch him do crossword puzzles in ink. Jay and his wife Terry resided primarily in Manhattan but valued spending time at their home in Rhode Island. This June, the couple would have celebrated 45 years together. During that time, their lives revolved around work and the love of an extended family.. Jay was an avid golfer, proud to share the achievement of his first-ever hole-in-one, with the day of his youngest granddaughter's birth. But golf wasn't Jay's only non-football passion, as he reveled in the athletic, musical and academic accomplishments of his grandchildren. Collegiate baseball, varsity high school sports, musical ensembles, theater and dance honors and successful careers in business and science, filled Jay with pride and joy, knowing he was the patriarch of such accomplishments. He spent hours delving into stats and listening to family play-by-plays, to ensure he had the full picture, and was connected to each moment. But sports weren't the only things that got Jay moving; music was also a huge part of his daily life. Having musical parents, he was influenced at an early age and Jay's love for music was quickly formed; he could even play an instrument without ever having taken a lesson. The guitar, however, was a favorite way Jay liked to unwind, often playing for his Family after dinner and at gatherings. He added his voice to the"FOUR KEYS" in High School and they are together again. And if he wasn't listening to the Oldies (music from the 50's and not after the 70's), the sounds of Country music rang in the house, only to be accompanied by Jay's undeniably talented whistling. In fact, sing a song and it was guaranteed to be followed by his whistled rendition, which no one could follow (he was just that good). And even though he referred to his Rock-n-Roll encyclopedia on a regular basis, we all knew he was a "fountain of knowledge" when it came to musical facts. But that was true about any facts, as Jay was never shy of looking something up, and his hunger for knowledge was inspiring; if you ever wanted to have a deep, intellectual, meaningful conversation about anything, he was your guy. Of course, his time was precious, so adorning him with any and all things chocolate (cookies, brownies, cake), or a cheeseburger - with a diet coke, of course - would ensure a childish smile and an uninterrupted visit. Watching BritBox, AGT, PBS, CNN and late night, syndicated sit-coms were just a few other of his guilty pleasures. But all in all, Jay was a generous, empathetic, loyal, honest, devoted, spiritual man, who loved nothing more than being surrounded by his Family. He also cherished his lifelong friends, who were more like family, and all the connections he made throughout his life's journey.



Jay is survived by his loving wife , Terry; his children Jennifer George (Steve), Jim Moyer (Shannon), and Judith Colonna (Michael Gillian); his grandchildren Conner, Kyle, Allison, Billy, Katie, Ayden, and Evann; and his great-granddaughter Ku'uleimelia. He was predeceased by his eldest daughter Sherrill Ann Moyer (Craig Shubert).

A memorial mass will be held on Wednesday, May 29th at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, 980 Park Avenue, New York. Memorial tributes may be made in the form of charitable donations to the American Cancer Society in memory of Jay's beloved daughter Sherri.